Lug staking tool



Filed Jan. 21, 1953 g .Q \w

m. m a Q SW m r a I W Q a Zw h r a III; JIIJI E NM.

mm J L States Patent LUG srAmNo TOOL *Carl Harris, Battle Creek, Michassignor to H. B. Shermm Manufacturing (30., Battle Creek, liich, acorporation of Michigan Appiication Sanitary 21, 1953, Serial No.332,244

2 Claims. (Ci. S115) My present invention relates generally to lugstaking tool, and, more specifically, is directed to a tool for stakingan electrical conducting lug to the end of a cable" or the like.

The primary disadvantage, which I have found in existing lug stakingtools, resides in the fact that each tool is adapted to accommodate onlya single size lug. As a result, where it becomes necessary to stake lugsof varying diameters, a number of staking tools must be maintained onhand, with each such staking tool being set to accommodate a differentsize lug. This arrangement is undesirable because valuable storage spaceis taken up by the several staking tools, there is the added expense ofthe cost and maintenance of the several staking tools, and time isconsumed by an operator when switching from one tool to another.

it is an object of my present invention to provide a lug staking toolwherein lugs of varying diameters may be accommodated.

It is another object of my present invention to provide a lug stakingtool of the character noted wherein manual adjustment of the tool may bemade rapidly and easily for accommodating lugs of varying diameters.

It is a further object of my present invention to provide a lug stakingtool, as noted, which is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.

In the accomplishment of the foregoing obiectsd provide a lug stakingtool which comprises a bed having a piston mounted therein forreciprocal movement. The bed also carries a lug receiving nest withwhich is associated means for locating the nest in one of a plurality ofaxial positions whereby the distance between the piston and the nest maybe varied for accommodating lugs of various diameters. h iorespecifically, the nest is provided with a pair of indexing blades whichare normally spring biased toward one pair of a plurality of stepsformed in an indexing barrel. The steps are of varying axial depths.Adjustment in the axial position of the nest is accomplished bymanuallywithdrawing the indexing blades from the steps of the barrel,revolving the barrel until the pair of steps of the desired depth arealigned with the blades, and then releasing the nest permitting theblades to engage the selected steps thus setting the nest in apredetermined axial position. By virtue of this construction, a singlestaking tool accommodates a wide range of lugs of varying diameters.

A primary feature of my present invention resides in the novel form ofmeans for effecting reciprocal movement of the piston. The actuatingmeans comprises a first arm member pivotally mounted to the tool bed anda second arm member pivotally mounted to the first arm member at a pointspaced from the pivotal mounting of the first arm member to the toolbed. The second arm member is also pivotally mounted to the piston at apoint spaced from the pivotal mounting of the second arm member to thefirst arm member. The arm members are manually movable toward and awayfrom each other for effecting movement of the piston toward and awayfrom the lug receiving nest whereby a lug may be staked or crimped2,7133% i atented July 19, 1955 between the piston and the nest. Thearrangement of the pivotal mountings of the arm members provides for atoggle form of action which snaps the piston into full engagement with alug lying in the lug receiving nest thus effecting a secure staking.

Now, in order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner ofconstructing and using lug staking tools in accordance with theprinciples of my present invention, I shall describe in connection withthe accompanying drawing, a preferred embodiment of my presentinvention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the lug staking tool of mypresent invention with a portion being broken away for the sake ofclarity;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the lug staking tool of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the lug staking tool, takenalong the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by thearrows.

Referring now to the drawing, there is indicated generally by thereference numeral 10 the bed of the lug staking tool of my presentinvention. The bed 10 may be held in the hand of an operator or may bemounted to a bench or the like by means of a bolt inserted through thebed opening 11. The tool bed 19 has a bight portion 12 and a pair ofparallel spaced apart leg portions 13 and 14 projecting at right anglestherefrom.

Mounted in the leg portion 13 for reciprocal movement, parallel to thebight portion 12 of the tool bed 19, is a cylindrical piston 15 whichhas a stepped, tapered nose portion 16 that faces the leg portion 14. Acylindrical adjusting pin or plunger 17 is mounted in the leg portion 14for reciprocal movement parallel to the bight portion 12 of the tool bed1%. As shown in Figure 3, a counterbore 18 is formed in the leg portion14. The counterbore 18 receives a coil spring 19 which is arrangedconcentrically about the plunger 17 and engages the enlarged knurledhead 20 of the latter.

The end of the plunger 37 which extends toward the piston 15 is receivedin the central bore of a lug receiving nest member 21 having asubstantially V-shaped nest portion 22. The nest member 21 is secured tothe plunger 17 by means of a retaining wire or staple 23 which isdisposed through transverse openings in the member 21 and in engagementwith the sides of a groove 24 formed in the plunger 17. A pair of blademembers 25 project axially from the lug receiving nest member 21 towardthe leg portion 14 of the tool bed 10.

In the accomplishment of my present invention, I provide means forlocating the nest member 21 in one of a plurality of axial positionswhereby the distance between the piston 15 and the nest portion 22 maybe varied for accommodating lugs of various diameters. The locatingmeans comprises a barrel 26 which is mounted on the plunger 17intermediate of the nest member 21 and the leg portion 14 of the toolbed 10. The barrel 26 is formed with a plurality of steps 27 which arearranged about the periphery thereof. The steps 27 are of varying axialdepth and are preferably milled. The steps 27, at diametrically oppositesides of the barrel 26, are of the same depth to accommodate both of theindexing blades 25. I will be recognized by those skilled in the artthat the indexing blades 25 are normally biased, by means of the actionof spring 19, into engagement with the steps of the barrel 26. Suitableindicia may be imprinted on the barrel 26 for indicating the sizes oflugs that will be accommodated at the various settings of the nestmember 21.

If it is desired to change the distance between the piston 15 and nestportion 22, the head 20 of the plunger 17 is pushed to the left, asviewed in the drawing, until the ice blades 25 are withdrawn from thesteps 27. At this point, the indexing barrel 26 may be rotated to alignor register any pair of steps 27 of the desired depth with the blademembers 25,.after which the plunger 17 may be released for permittingthe blades 25 to engage the selected steps 27 thus setting the nestmember 21 in a predetermined axial position. It will be readilyappreciated that the axial position of the nest member 21 may be changedrapidly and easily for accommodating lugs of varying diameters.

I shall now describe the force transmitting means which is employed forreciprocating the piston 15. The force transmitting means comprises alower arm member 29 which is pivotally mounted on a pin member 30secured in the parallel spaced apart walls 31 extending rearwardly fromthe leg portion 13 of the tool bed 10. An upper arm member 32 is formedwith a bifurcated end 33 which is pivotally mounted on a pin member 34that is carried by the lower arm member 29 at a point spaced from thepin member 30. The bifurcated end 33 of the upper arm member 32 is alsopivotally mounted on a pin member 35 which is carried by the piston 15at a point spaced from the pin member 34. The ends of the pin members 34and 35 terminate at the inner surfaces of the tool bed walls 31.

In the operation ofthe afore-described force transmitting means, the armmembers 29 and 32 are spread apart which draws the piston 15 to the leftas viewed in the drawing. The nest member 21 is adjusted in the mannerdescribed in detail hereinbefore and then an electrical conducting lug,which is, for example, to be staked or crimped to a cable, is insertedover the end of the cable and laid in the nest portion 22. The armmembers 29 and 32 are then squeezed together which action urges thepiston 15 toward the lug for staking the latter to the cable. a

The arrangement of the pivotal mountings of the arm members 29 and 32provides for a toggle form of force transmitting action which snaps thepiston 15 into full engagement with the lug lying in the nest portion 22thus effecting a positive and secure staking. After the lug has beenstaked, the arm members 29 and 32 are again spread apart to permit thestaked lug tobe removed from, and an unstaked lug to be inserted in, thenest portion 22. It should be noted that the above-described'steps,which are taken in crimping a lug, may be carried out quite rapidly.

Now, while I have shown and described what I believe to be a preferredembodiment of my present invention, it will be understood that variousrearrangements and modifications may be made therein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A lug staking tool comprising a bed having a bight portion and a pairof parallel spaced apart leg portions projecting therefrom, a pistonmounted in one of said leg portions for reciprocal movement parallel tothe bight portion of said bed, a plunger mounted in the other of saidleg portions for reciprocal movement parallel to the bight portion ofsaid bed, the axes of said piston and said plunger coinciding, a lugreceiving nest secured to the end of said plunger which faces saidpiston, means for locating said nest in one of a plurality of axialpositions whereby the distance between said piston and said nest may bevaried for accommodating lugs of various diameters, said meanscomprising a barrel mounted on said plunger intermediate said nest andsaid other leg portion of said bed, said barrel having steps about theperiphery thereof of varying axial depth, said nest having an axiallyrearwardly extending blade which is adapted to be received in one ofsaid steps in said barrel, spring means for normally biasing said bladetoward said barrel, said plunger being adapted to be moved axially towithdraw said blade from said steps of said barrel after which thelatter may be rotated to align'any step of the desired depth with theblade whereupon the plunger may be released for permitting the blade toengage the selected step thus setting the nest in a predetermined axialposition, a pair ofarm members pivotally mounted to said bed and havingconnection with said piston, and said arm members being manuallyoperable for etfecting movement of said piston tomard and away from saidnest whereby a lug may be staked between said piston and said nest.

2. A lug staking tool comprising a bed, a piston mounted in said bed forreciprocal movement, a plunger mounted in said bed for alignedreciprocal movement relative to said piston, a lug receiving nestsecured to the end of said plunger which faces said piston, means forlocating said nest in one of a plurality of axial positions whereby thedistance between said piston and said nest may be varied foraccommodating lugs of various diameters, said means comprising a barrelmounted on said plunger intermediate of the ends thereof, said barrelhaving steps about the periphery thereof of varying axial depth, saidnest having an axially rearwardly extending indexing member which isadapted to be received in one of said steps in said barrel, spring meansfor normally biasing said indexing member toward said barrel, saidplunger being adapted to be moved axially to withdraw said indexingmember from said steps of said barrel after which the latter may berotated 'to align any step of the desired depth with the indexing memberwhereupon the plunger may be released for permitting the indexing memberto engage the selected step thus setting the nest in a predeterminedaxial position, and manually operable means for effecting movement ofsaid piston toward and away from said nest whereby a ing may be stakedbetween said piston and said nest.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS KirkMar. 6, 1951

